Jakarta. PPP, or the United Development Party, Deputy Secretary General Sudarto threw his support behind Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama during another session in his blasphemy trial in South Jakarta on Tuesday (10/01).

"We came to offer our support for Ahok," Sudarto said.

According to Sudarto, other political parties backing Ahok in the Jakarta gubernatorial election — the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Golkar, Nasdem and Hanura — have also attended the trial in the past to show their support for Ahok.

"Ahok should never feel discouraged, his friends are here to support him," Sudarto told the press.

"We'll leave it to the court [to decide on the outcome of the trial]," he added.

Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, was declared a suspect in the blasphemy case in mid-November amid mounting pressure from Muslim hardliners, who staged a series of mass demonstrations against him.

Judges had earlier rejected his note of objections in the trial and his call for the case to be struck down for alleged breach of procedures.